Friday, December 24, 2010

Good Morning Friends! Well here we are the day before Christmas.....can't believe how fast the year has flown by, can you?

Wayne and I are spending this morning with my family and our son. We are looking forward to having Christmas at our home. Lunch will be our meal together and I am serving Honey Baked Ham with various sides. Mom is bringing over an assortment of cookies, fruitcake (she and I are the only ones who like it) and peanut brittle.

I am really looking forward to seeing my sister's reaction to her gift. My Mom and I have gone together to make a quilt for her that my Mom started in 1978. I will take a photo after she opens it and share here later. I really hope she likes it as it is not going to match the colors she has in her home.

After Christmas with my family, we will pack up one of the cars and make the 7 hour trip up to Wisconsin to be with Wayne's family for a week. I love my family but, I really love being with Wayne's. All those neices and nephews! Gives us a chance to really relax and get a good visit in with everyone.

A note on the board books I posted earlier, I dug through my supplies and found that I had quite a lot of embelishments, ribbon, adhesives to fill up the box. I only had to purchase some letters and a few specific Jolie's embelishments....and I had enough coupons that I could get nearly everything on sale. I will post a photo after the nieces and nephews open their gifts so you can see what I did.

Now to this card.....my Mom comissioned me to make a few of these special cards for her. She purchased the set and also paid me for making them. She was very pleased with how they turned out. Afterwards, she gave me the set. I was unable to make any cards for myself this year.....and that is because I did not start in January like I did last year! So, guess what I will be doing in 2011.

Hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and a joyous, prosperous New Year!Cindy

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Okay.....can you believe it, I am actually posting on my Blog???? I can't go into any details right now about what I have been doing but, I will later.

For now I need your help. I am trying to figure out how to finish these board books as quickly as possible.

Hubby and I have 9 total nieces and nephews. Now, not all of them are recieving these books at this time. Only 4 are. The other 5 we are either Godparents or are just being nice to one family because of their financial circumstances.

The 4 we are going to give these books to are 11-15. One child is musically inclined, one is highly artistic, one is incredibly talented in sports and one is into the theater (the only boy of this group). So, my question is this....can I get away with just decorating the front, a few ribbons on the ring, some journaling tags and either some photo corners and/or double sided tape? I had thought to just put "My Favorite Photos" or "Photos I Love" on the front.

We do not usually give to these children because they are not our Godchildren.....that is the rules of the family I married into. But, this year we feel a bit more generous and I was crafty earlier in the year.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Hello Friends! It has been so long since I have posted here, I feel guilty for not keep this up better. But then, it is my blog, a place for expression and not a place where I sell things. So, I can let go of the guilt right?

More changes have been taking place in my life over the past few months. And without boring the crap out of all of you with the mundane details, I will just give you some bits.

I hve made the decision to stop taking horticulture classes and have decided to work on my Masters in History instead. After talking to a great many people, it just makes more sense to get an advanced degree instead of another A.S. degree. If you have read my blog in the past you know that I love history. Not sure if I will teach it or not as I still have to go and actually sit down with the advisor to discuss how I can make that work into the program they have already. It is a very promising future for me.

Clark has finally gotten his assessment for Vocational Rehabilitation Dept. help to obtain a job. The process is just starting so, I have no details. He is excited at possibilities. His health and attitude remain relatively good despite not having much to do.

Our gardens have suffered terribly this year with all the heat. Many areas have been sorely neglected. We are just now getting back out to lay down compost and take out plants that are not doing good or are in the wrong area. We will move some plants now as living where we do, they will have some grow time before it becomes winter.

And my other area that has pushed stamping and crafting out a little is my living history hobby. For those of you who have viewed Civil War Reenactors before at battlefields and events at historic homes or sites. You might know what I mean.....the men in their uniforms and the women in their hoop skirts. Well, that gives you some idea. But, I am not the sort of person to just sit on a battlefield in a hoopskirt and watch the men fight. I am more interested in dressing period correct (which means hoops, corset, etc.) and participating in events that pertain to life at these sites. I am just getting back into this after many years away. I am slowly making friends with folks with similar interests...and attending conferences and workshops in the upcoming months. I may be starting a new blog to incorporate my love of history, we'll see....I may just be too busy to do much but attend classes.

The card I have chosen was sent to my In-Laws to thank them for meeting my husband and I in Chicago for my birthday weekend in August. I love Chicago but, feel now that I have nearly exhausted all the places in that city to visit. The Field Museum had an exhibit on the baby Mammoth that was found in Siberia.....so totally facisinating!

Thanks again for looking and reading about my life....such as it is!Cindy

Monday, July 26, 2010

Good Morning Friends! Wayne and I wanted to have a Graduation Party for Clark and the only time we did not have something going on was August. Sad but at least we are giving him a party.

Disabled children generally do not have many if any friends that come over to their houses to 'play'. So we are inviting his teachers, nurses, therapists, the bus driver and her assistant, family and his girlfriend.

This DP at my LSS caught my eye and thought it would be great with his school's colors. Some of the mortar boards have glitter on them! Very simple and self-explanatory.

Thanks for taking a look! Have a great day!!

Cindy

Stamps - SU Celebrate Everything, Tassel Time, AYC (one of them for the invite info)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Good Morning Friends! I have been trying to do some work with my Prismacolor Pencils at night while I relax in front of the TV with my husband. I do like to be with him at night even if he is watching something I don't really care for.

The little girl card is for our niece Jennifer who lives in Wisconsin. It will be her 7th birthday this week. She loves bling and those colors. I took a sheet of the DCWV DP and cut it apart to get the color combination I like. Then reassembled them. I popped up the flowers and added the acrylic sparkly dots. I still don't think I have the hair technique down yet......practice makes perfect though.

The classic car is for my brother in California he is turning 51 next week. He loves classic cars. In fact, that is what he does for a living.....work with cars. I don't ge to see him much anymore. Sending him some homemade hot sauce and more jars of jams and jellies.

The house mouse was a stamped image from Linda Bronson. I want to send one of our neighbors a thank you card for a wonderful evening we had at their house recently.

Hope all is well with you and your summer is not full of too much bad weather!Cindy

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Good Morning Friends! I do not have anything new to show you today as I have been using my Prismacolor Pencils and coloring some images that a nice lady sent me earlier this year. I am trying out different papers to see what the coloring is like on them. This card is not new....only new to you. Sent it to our Nephew, Joshua, year before last. Don't know why I never posted it but, seems appropriate for this time of the year.

Anyway, I am heading out today to pick up some new pencils that match the new colors that Stampin' Up! has put into their new catalog. Quite a shake up with what they did. I am sure a lot of Demos are not too happy about having to buy all new stuff. That's business folks, keep it fresh or you loose sales.

On the home front......we had a very quiet Independence Day. Went to my Mom's and grilled burgers and brats and instead of going to see the fireworks, we played Mexican Train. I think I have told you about my sister, Lisa, who has MS. Well, she cannot tolerate the heat at all. We had fun teaching our Mom how to play. Oh, if you have never played it is a game you play with dominos.

Today I am also running a bunch of errands.....picking up my June order from my demo and heading to a friends for a muslin bodice fitting for my civil war dress I am sewing. I think I have told you about my love for the history from this era, didn't I? Well, progress is slow. I had to wait for my new corset and shoes. Now I have to wait for my hoop skirt......have to get it ordered first. Wayne thinks I should make it, then that way I could make others and sell them. Not sure about that one...the selling thing. I am also growing out my hair, which isn't taking as long as I thought. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Good Morning Friends! Since today is July 1st, I thought it would be a good idea to start posting ideas for Christmas since it is only about 6 months away.....

I made this album in 2008 for my sister, Lisa, who just loves Christmas. She puts up anywhere from 5-7 Christmas trees throughout her house. She has a huge house so she can! Some years she has these big parties for all her friends and co-workers. We were invited a couple of years ago but, had to decline at the last minute because I had the flu. Sucked!

Anyway, just before I wrapped this album, I stuck little post it notes on the photo mats of the sizes of photos she would need f0r them. She thought that was really neat that I would do that and make it easier for her to finish. I told her that I know how busy her life is and I know how she likes easy. But, really don't we all like it easy these days?

I used the DCWV paper pack mostly with a few fill in papers. The stickers were a variety of them I had collected over the years. Some of the stickers that look like you cannot read them do have sentiments on them it's just the light from the flash changed it. Sorry. Hope you enjoy looking at it....who knows maybe it will inspire you to make something wonderful for someone special in your life?

I purchased the books at Hobby Lobby using the coupons. You can also find them at Scrapbooks.com they are by Bo Bunny. To make this book, I traced around the page first, adhered with a glue stick and brayer, then sanded around the edges for a nice finished look.

For the photo mats that have a tag sticking out from them, I used tacky tape on 3 sides to keep the pocket secure.

I also used dimensional dots to pop up any sentiments, journaling or embelishments around a photo mat to allow photos to slide under. In my gift to Lisa I included some sticky dots so she could adhere the photos.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Good Morning Friends. I played around with more of the leftover scraps from the Just Delightful Simply Scrappin' kit.....actually I made this before I made all those cards from the other day. Wasn't going to post it because I think this type of album is kind of old now. But, knew that it might be an inspiration to one of you out there.

I had a difficult time finding white bags for this album....chance find at a craft store in Wisconsin one day while visiting family. I think for the colors in this kit, white is best. I followed Jan Tink's design you can find it by going to stampspaperscissors.typepad.com I tried linking it and could not make a go of it; sorry. When you go to her site, look down on the left for the Paperbag instructions and templates.

I made my own little journaling cards using a varitey of sentiments and there are qute a few pullouts for more photos. I love these little interactive albums. This will probably be a Christmas gift for someone special this year. Folks these albums are fairly quick and inexpensive to make...unless you add a whole lot of embelishments!

I would be happy to give you any measurements or information on this project, just let me know.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Good Morning Friends. Yesterday I said I would post some photos of our son, Clark, and give you a bit of information on his life. Which is such a big part of our life!

Well, as you can see he graduated from High School. That is such a big deal for a child with a disability. I think one of the most difficult things about this event is that he growing up and for me that has been tough. Not from the boo hoo point but from the point of 'what is he going to do with the rest of his life?'

If you have never had anyone in your family with a disability this might be difficult to understand. But, in case you did not know, the school is responsible and mandated, federally, to provide opportunities for job and day program exploration. This means that they must go out into the community and see day programs and get evaluated for jobs. This was not done with Clark. Something for which we are very angry about.

We found out in February, at his last IEP, that there was no plans for potential jobs or day programs because of his health and other 'obstacles'. The obstacles were the medication schedule, his tube feedings (he was on continuous feedings) and hygiene issues. Well, you can't do anything about the hygiene part he wears a diaper because he cannot sit on a toilet. But, you can do something about the feeding and medication components.

I went to Clark's doctors and asked for help with solving the problems.....had that accomplished by the end of the next week. Came back to the school and demanded that they help us in the time he had remaining at school. They were able to get him to a job site, get evaluated and now he is on a waiting list. But, he still did not have anything else lined up for his days after school.

One of the things we had been working on for nearly 2 years was to find an appropriate home in the community for him to live in instead of the group home he was currently in. The agency we were working with lost their director at the end of February....suddenly....as in he quit. There was no explanation as to why, no contact with him either....no answers and left us feeling very uneasy.

Wayne and I gave it a lot of thought. What we came up with was this.....he has been living at this home for 3 years. Granted it is not the perfect home but, I don't think that exists and at least we know how these folks operate; we know what to expect. As Wayne says, "It is better going with the Devil you know instead of the Devil you don't." While Clark would be in the new home and that might be lovely, Clark would be starting all over again.....learning curve with the new staff, new staff he does not know, no plans for getting out into the community, etc., etc., etc. So, we decided to keep him at the home he is in currently.

We also decided to start talking to other people/agencies that might be able to help Clark get into the community instead of getting stuck in that home day in and day out. It was pretty dark for me for a few months.....I cried a lot. I worried a lot. But, then I got down on my knees and prayed for guidance and strength to make the best decisions for Clark. I feel that God must be guiding us else why would that door close on the school's help and the getting Clark into a home that we thought he needed. I think God has a different plan.

I think that God wants Clark to be the light at that group home. He is so happy always, despite all his issues. He is the most cognitive resident there. He is the most independent resident there as well. Maybe instead of fighting it, go with the flow.

So, here is the update in a nutshell......because I have babbled on long enough......we are re-decorating his room to fit his Construction tastes, we are exploring Day Programs (after having rewritten his Personal Care Plan to state that he needs to be out in the community), we are getting a Vocational Rehab. consult and we are on the waiting list for his job. Until we can find something out in the community, he will work on things at the home in their day program....like learning his phone number, complete address, to be responsible to tell others where he is going at all times on the facility grounds and doing little jobs as a stepping stone to the bigger one.

It has taken a lot of fighting for him.....yes, I am tired of it.....yes, I would love for everything to be in place and go smoother than it has for years. But, I have to keep thanking God for Clark being in my life, for keeping him so healthy and for giving me so much help to fight for him. Because I believe that I am not just fighting for Clark but for others in that facility too.

About all the pictures.....the cap and gown ones are from his Graduation. The girl in the pink is Brittany, his girlfriend at school. I imagine that since she still has two more years at school, the relationship will probably die due to lack of participation on her parents. Life goes on.

The other photos are of Grandparents and us at our recent zoo trip. A gift from his Grandparents (Wayne's folks). We had a great time...good diversion to the hum drum of Clark's daily life. Watched the Lions and baby elephants and sweat like pigs that day. But, it was very nice to all be together.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Friends, it has been far far too long since I have posted anything....really far too long since I have made anything worthy of posting. Since April life has been a roller coaster of sorts. Most of my time was spent divided between finishing the semester at college, preparing for Clark to transition out of school and gardening.

I did marvelously well with my class in Soils....earned an A. That will look nice on my transcripts should I ever decide on looking for a job some day. During that time I took some tests to find out if I was going in the right direction....I continue to have doubts about this field for my future. All the tests I took pointed to teaching....so, I will be checking that field out within the next few weeks.

Gardening in our yard certainly keeps getting better and better. Though takes more and more work it seems like. We added one new garden in the vicinity of our Oak Tree. Wayne put in a delightful edging which just finishes things off so nicely. Planted some Knock Out Roses and Lilac bushes. Then finished up another garden that was started last fall with more Knock Out Roses in a light yellow and Butterfly bushes with seeds scattered for now. Next year we will have the $$$ to plant a few more shrubs and perennials there. Still have to finish the paver walkway and build another. But, they will have to wait for fall. I will post some pictures of our gardens soon.

Clark's circumstances are a source of much worry and concern, always. It will take too long to post all of what has gone on in the past two months to put here and I am sure that most of you would just be too bored to read it. So, I will post again tomorrow with some pics of him and the story....cuz you know, I got stories!

Okay, about these cards......I was wanting something to do in front of the TV. So, I went through my SU Simply Scrappin' kits.....folks if you have never used these, they are wonderful for making cards and scrapbook pages!! I wanted to use up some of the older ones. That is what I did with this one.....Delight in Life. One of my all time favorite SAB kits! I made 32 cards all together here......I made another 30 something when I first got it. Not listing all the supplies, if you want to know something, just ask.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Hello Friends! Well, I thought I would take a minute and post some of the older items I have made in years past. Mainly because I don't have anything new to post and mostly because I do not want to go too many days and not post.

All of these projects were made in the fall of 2008 for Christmas gifts that year. The Family books were given to my husband's siblings with pictures of their families and us on various occasions. They all live in Wisconsin and we see them maybe 4 - 6 times a year.

The Believe book was for my sister, Lisa, she loves anything Christmas and decorates her house to the hilt. So, I knew that she would be able to put holiday pics inside. I did not put any in because there were many years that we did not celebrate Christmas' together.

The Happy book is a quote book for my Mom. She likes quotes from famous and not so famous people. So this has pockets inside with very little embelishment mostly the quotes that would

pertain to her interestes, about being a Mother, etc. Not sure if she really liked it or not, never saw it around her house, nor has she ever

commented about it???

One of the things I realized when I finished them was I did not leave enough space so that you could tell what the word was....on a few of them. I did that because I wanted to get as many pictures in as possible.

I would be happy to share any information about them with you including the quotes I used.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy Easter Friends! I hope your day is blessed with great weather, family time and that you hear God speaking through the wonders of Springtime.

Not a church goer but, have faith that God is there always for me. All I need to do is ask for guidance and it is given; give thanks for blessings and more come my way. I am grateful for you that bless me with your continued reading of my blog and support me with your kind words.

These little treat bags are my first attempt at something like this. Not happy with the size of the bag....forgot to go to the Flower Market downtown and get some boutonniere bags (cellophane is a better bag and I have tax ID so get them cheaper)...so, had to go to Michael's yesterday for them. Thank goodness a kind soul went through the entire store looking for just the right sized bag for me. I will give them today at our family dinner.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Good Morning Friends! I promised to show you the painting Dad did for me quite a few years back. He took this from a little print that I had hanging in my first house in my previous life (meaning, married before). I always loved the floral still life with the huge variety of flowers.

Dad, not being a flower painter, took each flower and created it on watercolor paper, then cut it out and applied it to the already painted vase and scarf. Then he applied a fine rice paper, crinkling it ever so slightly. This photo does not do it justice. The print itself is 25 x 19 and hangs in my living room; it is one of the first things you see when you walk into our house.

When he gave this to me about 3 years ago, he also gave me all the drawings of the flowers and leaves. My Dad was extremely talented, had great creativity and good eye for color and proportion. I like to think that is where I get my talent from......I was so blessed to have him as my father!

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Good Morning Friends! Needed to make a sympathy card for a friend last week as her MIL passed away. I think this is an area that so many have a difficult time with....not sure if it is just the concept or finding the right colors and words to say. But, remembering the cards that our family recieved last year with Dad's death, I remember the understated ones most.

I tried to get that feel here, I hope. This stamp has been in my stash for a very long time and I have never used it. Don't know why really. It is quite large for a standard A2 card so, I went up to the next size. And the color is a bit brighter than is showing up. Popped up the hydrangea bloom for some dimension.

Made me think of a painting that my Dad did for me some time back. Back before I had met Wayne, I had seen a picture of vased flowers in still life. I loved it and wondered if Dad could make it larger for me. Of course he could and did. Then we had a seven year split.....over stupid things in retrospect. He never gave up on me and kept the painting. When I found out that he was sick and I came back to the family in 2007, the first thing he did was bring over the painting. I had no idea the work that he put into it. I will post it tomorrow and tell you all about it.

I kick myself for having missed 7 years of relationship with my folks but, especially my Dad. And I am so grateful for having had the opportunity to be close to him at the end of his life. Life is too short friends, put up with the crabbiness and things you don't like about family....one day they will not be here....live without regrets. Okay, off soapbox now......

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Good Morning Friends! Finished these up last week for my sister, Lisa. I had sent her a card mid-summer last year similar to the turquoise ones letting her know how much I love her. She made the comment that I should sell my cards because "they are just so lovely." Isn't she sweet?

Took me a little over three days to get all these finished. Don't know about you but I go into production mode when I have this many to do. All the cutting one day, stamping another and another to put together. Had fun and I hope she asks me to make some more again!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Good Morning Stamping Friends! Finally getting around to posting my St. Patrick's Day cards. When I was looking at various galleries for ideas, the thought hit me....why not use it. Family and friends loved it, especially the one with the colorful striped ribbon.

The more muted one was my attempt at doodling around the letters and making a glittery punched shamrock. It's okay.

Did you know that when you wish a Happy St. Patrick's Day to someone here in the US and you want to shorten it....you say Happy St. Paddy's Day and not Happy St. Patty's Day? Why? Well, glad you asked......Patty is a girls name and Paddy is the Irish way to shorten Patrick....Paddy. It's also how Paddy Wagon got it's name....in New York so many Policmen of the day were Irish and the name just stuck. Also, in Ireland it is a religious holiday and not a drunken brawl. Just some random thoughts on the holiday.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

It has been far too long since I have posted on here. I feel bad about it too. Those of you who check in on me from time to time know that my life is very busy. I hope you understand.

This is my Easter card for this year. Made a dozen to send to family and very close friends. Stamped the image on the WW cardstock and positioned previously stamped, colored and paper pieced chicks to it. Ran a couple of swipes under thier feet with watercolor brush and re-inker. Very easy.

Hope you have a lovely Easter week and time with family next weekend. Hoping to post the cards I have made since February soon. Happy Crafting!!Cindy

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Prima blog is going to reveal something really big. So in honor of that event, they are giving away candy. Look at this....worth about $100!! Go to their blog found here http://prima.typepad.com/ You have until tonight to enter.......hurry friends!!!